Exploring Trends… Summer Edition

I know what my mom is thinking when she reads this post: What are you doing wearing scuba material? With plants on it?

Well, no exactly.

It’s a thicker fabric that holds pleats really well and has a bit of stiffness to it with the added benefit of breathing and feeling cool. It’s perfect for peplums and skater skirts. It’s also a great choice for body-con dresses because the thicker, stiff fabric hides flaws.

Here are some examples that show a basic design, flowed by pleats, and finished with body-con:

Some dresses have taken the scuba theme and run with it by including a sipper detail:

Summer means a lot more fun with patterns and colors. One of the prevalent and I think very do-able trends is botanicals. I am not saying flower patterns for a reason. A flowery pattern is something for little girl dresses or old couches, botanicals floral prints with a plus factor — like optical illusion or watercolor effects. They make the print seem dream like and just a bit futuristic. I think botanicals are very relatable for people of all ages and sizes, as in all things, I believe it is just about balance. This summer the trend has been to combine with the print and the scuba fabric to make a slightly futuristic and crisp look. I think the reason they work so well is the clean, flat surface of the fabric makes for a great canvas for the botanical print. Here are a bunch of examples of botanical + scuba done with style:

And as I always try to do, I put my money where my mouth is… this is my botanical dress that I got for $40 off of SimplyBe.com. I thought it’d be fun for summer, work, and even weddings. It feels very ladylike but with some attitude to it. And I know this dress works because it passed the ultimate test — I got compliments from my male co-workers. The secret to styling it is absolutely do not over accessorize. You will notice that I have paired this dress with nude pumps (coral flats around the office), pale turquoise bow earrings (a Kate Spade gift from my bestie Meg), and my new simple crescent necklace (with which I am obsessed so get used to seeing it in pictures!), No over the top hair, makeup, jewelry, or shoes. This dress and look are all about the print and the material. It’s also great if you are feeling a bit lazy because it’s low maintenance.

I don’t usually go for dresses with that much pattern and such a neutral base color but the color and richness come from the botanical print that looks so sharp against that scuba material. Try it! I think you will be pleasantly surprised!